Schools should prepare young people for war
Schools should develop a “relaxed relationship with the Bundeswehr” and students should be prepared for the event of war – this is what Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP) is calling for. She proposes concrete measures. Criticism now comes from the Rhineland-Palatinate Education Minister.
DRhineland-Palatinate Education Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) has described statements by Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP) about civil defense exercises in schools as incomprehensible. Nothing is too good that it cannot be improved, said Hubig, who is also the coordinator of the SPD-led federal states in the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK), on Saturday. But a lot is already happening in this area and concepts are also being readjusted.
From Stark-Watzinger’s perspective, schools have a responsibility to prepare young people for war. “Society as a whole must prepare well for crises – from a pandemic to natural disasters to war,” Stark-Watzinger told the newspapers of the Funke media group on Saturday. “Civil defense is immensely important, it also belongs in schools. The goal must be to strengthen our resilience.”
The FDP politician spoke out in favor of holding civil defense exercises in schools. In other countries, such as Great Britain, the issue is dealt with much more naturally. “Disaster disaster drills are part of everyday life at schools there. We can learn from that,” said Stark-Watzinger.
She called on schools to develop a “relaxed relationship with the Bundeswehr”. “I think it is important that youth officers come to schools and report what the Bundeswehr is doing for our security,” she told the Funke newspapers. She “cannot understand” reservations about this.
Young people need to know the threats to freedom and be able to deal with the dangers, said Stark-Watzinger. This doesn’t have to be a separate school subject, but it does have to be a learning content. Schools have the task of highlighting risks in an age-appropriate manner, she said. “It’s also about addressing worries and fears.”